The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-03-17
HANGING IN GOLDSBORO.
HENRY ARTS colo PAYS THE
PENALTY FOR MURDER.
People Crowded to See the Executions.
Let Us Not Again Have the Spectacle
of Public Executions.
Editorial Correspondence.l

Let Us Not Again Have the Spectacle
of Public Executions.
Editorial Correspondence
GOLDSBORO, N. c., March 13, 1871
had not been long in this place before |
met lady Of rare common sense who said:
II don't understand why editors and pub
lie men do not denounce the public execu-
ton of criminals. 1t is demoralizing, ac-
quaints men with the shedding of blood,
and removes the horror of crime She
went on to say that on the day previous,
Henry Arts (col.) had been hung in that
place and that parents wrote notes to the
Principal of the school asking leave of alb
sence for their children to see the hang
ing. There was one man there with a
three months old infant, and when the
Sheriff let the drop fall, the father held
get good view of the man as he hung in
the death agony. The lady-and very
properly-inveighed against such barbara
ty and said that the vision Of the stran-
Cling, dying man would haunt the babys
young life and give it dreams other than
of innocence.
| also heard a young man say that about
an hour before the execution he was pass
ing through the crowd when an old gen
tleman from the country accosted him
with: Come to see the hanging, | sup
pose?' The young man replied that he
had not-that he didn't believe in public
executions-and that he thought an en-
lghtened public sentiment ought to pre-
vent them
Don't believe in EN-, eh? said the old
man. Don't want the poor men who
work to have no pleasure, eh? Why, sir,
time you've seen as many hangings AS |
have, you wouldn't miss seeing one for
nothin', | tell ye. The first time ever saw
a man hanged, mu sed the old man, was
nigh on to siXty-one years ago when the
Court House was at old Waynesboro. | was
a boy then but | remember it as we'll as if
it was jest yesterday. Then | went to
hanging at - and the old man gave a
list of innumerable hangings he had wit
messed in all parts of Eastern North Caro-
lima. He seemed to gloat over his record as
the champion hanging beholder. ''Once,"
he continued, as his eye frightened with
the evident enjoyment the recollection af-
forded him, 81 seed five men hung at one
time. Oh. it was a great sight. | Will
never see the like again, I'm afeerd,'' he
said most sorrowfully.
You must have been in the Mexican
war; said the young anti public-execu-
ton advocate. Yes, that's where | seed
it, replied the old man. Five men were
put on the scaffold and shot into the next
world before you could say Jack Robinson.
Oh. it was grand sight, my poor old eyes
will never see the like again-but good
mornin', let's be gon'. | don't want TO
miss seeing this niger pitched into ettr
nifty" And the old man ambled Oft to Sc
cure a good position where ne could drink
in the enjoyment of seeing poor guilty
fellow creature meet his doom.
What a commentary is this upon our
boasted nineteenth century civilization.
And we live in the blaze of light. in the
zenith of Christianity, and no voice is
lifted up to rebuke this barbarous and
shocking custom which remains the most
shocking relic of the Age of Brutality. \
voice has been lifted up-a cry as one cry
ing on the mountain top has been heard -
but it is UNDECIDED. l have not the book
by me now but the readers the CHRONICLE
will remember the great and unapproach-
able speech of Victor Hugo in condemna-
ton of the public execution of poor wo-
man whose only crime had been stealing
to prevent her children dying of starvation.
| do not recall word of the speech. Its
pith is burned into my very soul and
never hear of public execution without
remembering. with thrill of honor, Vic
tor Hugo's great denunciatory speech. |
do not remember to have ever read a
speech of great er power, or which came so
near, by merely reading the words, con-
veying the same feeling as is produced by
the impasSiOned effort Of the great orator.
They are in truth ''words that burn"
The County Commissioners and Sheriff, of
Wayne, might read it with interest and
awe. 1t can be found in some of the old
school-speakers.
The man Henry Arts, colored, who was
hung here yesterday (Friday) died "a
remarkable death He was convicted for
most brutally killing his step-daughter,
November 25th. Instigated by jeal-
ousy and moved by whiskey Git moves to
terrible deeds, always he took an axe and
dealt the girl several blows Oh the head
and neck, and inflicted wound in her
body with a knife. There was no pallia-
ton for the terrible crime unless it be that
being very drunk is palliation. The
jury didn't think so, and the Governor
refused to commute his sentence not
deeming drunkenness sufficient excuse to
override the verdict of the jury. Through
out his confinement, except one time, he
was composed and quiet and always as
serted his readiness to die. The manner
IN which he stated that he'd rather be
hung than sent to the Penitentiary inn
pressed those who heard it that he was
speaking the truth. People in Goldsboro
believe he was sincere and that he really
wanted to die.
His speech on the scaffold was strange
one He neither admitted nor denied
killing the girl, protesting to the last ''if
| done it, it was because l was in liquor"
He asserted his belief that Christ would
save him. ''None of Christ's children
don't die" he said. 81 am going to be
hung 80. If | go to He'll | can't come back;
if | 20 to Heaven | won't want to come
back III tell you the cause of my be-